On July 3, 2023, at 7:00 PM, I revisited a nostalgic restaurant in Asahikawa after 20 years. It is a branch of Torimoto-san Shibetsu Yakitori, named Nansen. There is also a branch in Sapporo. I visited with a colleague, and we were seated at a table across the road from the parking lot. There were two other customers at the counter. We ordered 10 pieces of motsu skewers (180 yen each) and 10 pieces of chicken skewers (180 yen each), along with a draft beer and a non-alcoholic drink. I was surprised by how thin the meat was compared to before. The portion size seemed to have decreased as well. We also tried the soba noodles, which I used to love, and then my colleague suggested going to another restaurant. Despite the changes, the food was still delicious. Thank you for the meal!

Various things are increasing in price, and this place is no exception... The beef skewers and offal skewers went from 130 yen to 180 yen. I really like the offal skewers here, but this time they seemed a bit softer in texture? The unique chewiness of the parent bird was milder. Anyway, this place is very popular so it's essential to call ahead before visiting!

A few of us who love grilled offal skewers gathered together. I must admit, I'm not usually proactive when it comes to offal skewers, but the invitation was so convincing that I decided to join (and challenge myself). We made a reservation at a popular restaurant and when we looked at the menu, it was quite limited. We decided to order everything on the menu. The grilled offal skewers were indeed delicious, perfectly cooked and seasoned with just the right amount of salt. They didn't come with any sauce, just salt, which was surprisingly tasty. We also ordered extra onion slices, which were not too spicy and easy to eat. We ended up ordering multiple rounds of food because it was so good. The only downside was the limited selection of drinks, so those who couldn't drink cocktails had to settle for oolong tea. The restaurant had its own parking lot and the service was great, so we definitely plan to come back. Thank you for the delicious meal!

I have been curious about motsu skewers for a while, and today I finally got to try them. When I entered the shop, there was a delicious smell of charcoal grilling. The prices are reasonable, with one skewer of grilled meat or motsu priced at 130 yen each, two chicken wings for 430 yen, and two tsukune for 330 yen. There are only a few types of skewers available, but the seasoning was just right and very tasty. The motsu was a bit tough, but overall, it was a good experience. I plan to try the yakitori on soba noodles next time I visit.

One of the popular yakitori restaurants in Asahikawa. They offer three types of skewers: motsu, seikotsu, and tsukune, and you don't need to order sauce or salt as they all come with a salt and pepper seasoning. We ordered 15 skewers for three people, twice. The motsu has a good texture and the salt and pepper seasoning goes well with beer. I think it's the number one in Asahikawa. The seikotsu is juicy when freshly grilled, and the tsukune, despite usually being saucy, is delicious with salt and pepper seasoning. I recommend the onion slices as a palate cleanser, especially with the bonito flakes on top. When I went, it wasn't crowded, but reservations are a must. The service is also very pleasant, making it a place you'll want to come back to.

I occasionally drop by here. It's always crowded and often closes early, but on this day, it was surprisingly empty. It was easy to get in as a customer, which was nice. I ordered a draft beer, pickled vegetables, and some tripe skewers. I usually order 10 skewers at a time. I noticed that the price of the skewers had gone up from 100 yen to 130 yen. The texture of the skewers is great, with a satisfying chewiness. However, I felt like they were a bit saltier than usual this time. I recently found out that I have high blood pressure, so I've been more conscious of my salt intake.

Today I went to eat yakitori. Torigen in Asahikawa offers skewers for only 100 yen each. It's cheap, right? I can't eat a lot of regular meat skewers, but for some reason I can eat a lot of motsu skewers. The tsukune and spicy skewers are delicious. The tebasaki is also oily. Of course, I finished with soba. I added motsu skewers as well. Satisfied. Satisfied.

It's past 7 pm... I decided to give them a call and surprisingly they picked up! This is a popular restaurant that always requires reservations. The reviews don't vary much, so I'll keep it brief... The motsu, tsukune, and tebasaki that I always order are consistently delicious. I think the motsu here is the best without a doubt. As for the sake, they have added Dassai and Minami to the menu, and now there's a new addition! ◆Oshinshu Karakuchi Tokubetsu Junmai 700 yen It's refreshingly spicy with a slightly bitter aftertaste. After enjoying the classic skewers, I tried a menu item that was rejected before. ◆Wiener 330 yen I thought it would be a few pieces per serving, but it turns out there are 3 pieces, probably Schüasen. Of course, they are crispy and the taste is perfect! I may not have reviewed everything, but I think I've tried all the dishes now. (laughs) If they also offer takeout for yakitori, it would be perfect for solo dining.

The day before, I made and ate salt motsu hot pot at home, but I suddenly felt like eating motsu skewers today. Since the motsu hot pot was pork, tonight I will have chicken motsu... I will conquer it over two nights, haha. I visited a place near Asahikawa Station, just a short walk from Asahikawa Shijo Station. I always call in advance to make a reservation because they often sell out early. As expected, when I arrived after 6:30 PM, they had already closed the shop. The sake menu has expanded since my last visit. I usually have hot sake, but today I tried the Dassai 50 for 750 yen. I also had 10 pieces of grilled chicken motsu skewers for 100 yen each. They had a nice chewy texture and a rich flavor of the chicken. Just the right amount of saltiness. I also ordered 2 tsukune for 330 yen and 3 chicken wings for 430 yen. They usually ask me if I'm okay with waiting, but today they didn't. Of course, it's not as long of a wait as at a famous chicken wing shop in Sapporo where they make you wait forever. The chicken wings were crispy, juicy, and delicious. Since the scene was a bit dark, I also ordered onion slices for 350 yen, which were tasty without being too spicy. To cleanse my palate, I ordered another type of sake, the Nambu Special Junmai for 700 yen, which was a refreshing sake. When I see this, it reminds me of the stubborn owner of that shop in Asahikawa... I quietly went home and made udon noodles with the leftover motsu hot pot soup. Trying to save money for my trip to Sapporo...

Good morning. I was a little lazy... Yesterday, after finishing some work, about 6 of us from work went to Torigen in Asahikawa City, 3 Jo-dori 17-chome. It was my first time going, but my coworkers recommended it as delicious. The menu is simple, with items like motsu skewers, meat, tebasaki, tsukune, as well as grilled eggplant and tofu, but no rice dishes. They also had kakesoba on the menu. I think they also had chicken sashimi. The motsu skewers (1 for 84 yen) were recommended. The seasoning of salt and pepper was excellent, with a good chewiness and perfect for pairing with beer. The onions in between were also a nice touch. I had over 10 skewers by myself. It was delicious. They also recommended putting the motsu in the kakesoba. Here is the tsukune. And this is the grilled eggplant. I also love grilled eggplant... The motsu skewers were delicious. I would like to go again. (Note: The score is all perfect as it feels disrespectful to rate the restaurant, and in a way, it may be seen as obstructing business. I give all perfect scores because I hope to introduce the restaurant.) *The actual score would be 3.3 based on the perfect ratings.

Located right near JR Asahikawa Shijo Station in Asahikawa City, there's a place called Torigen. I've been curious about it for a while. I often visited the Torigen in front of Hokkaido University in Sapporo, and I think it's the best yakitori place in Sapporo. The location is a bit hidden on Naka-dori, near the back of the Tsuruha store. However, the original flagship store of Tsuruha in Asahikawa is old and small, so the expression "behind Tsuruha" might be misleading as a new store is being built soon along the east side of 4th Street. When you enter the restaurant, you'll see a small counter in front and a fairly spacious raised area on the right. The older gentlemen who come by taxi seem to be getting along well with the owner, engaging in lively banter. The owner's wife and Jr. are also there, handling customers smoothly. I start with a draft beer. The small mug provided by Jr. is perfect and the beer tastes great. From the menu on the wall, I order motsu (tripe), se (chicken tail), and onion salad. Yakitori specialty stores don't usually have a wide selection of items, and this place is no exception. Attack with motsu and se! The owner, who was chatting with regular customers near the entrance, starts working in earnest. He looks very cool. The owner's wife serves the onion salad, and it's delicious. The quantity is not large, but the price is reasonable, so no complaints. I try to include some health-conscious options in my drinking life, so I can justify it to myself. The yakitori is served quickly. The motsu is a bit tough for my liking, maybe it could have been grilled a bit more. But I still enjoy the delicious yakitori. The grilled chicken tail is just right. I enjoy some sake while requesting more. The tofu block is large and comes with green onions, bonito flakes, and wasabi. It's delicious. Towards the end, I chat with the staff at the counter and learn that they are related to the Torigen in Sapporo. It's a blessing to enjoy delicious yakitori at a specialty store, so I'll visit again soon. I'm lucky to live nearby, so I'll be back soon. Today, I'll leave it at that. I thought about getting some motsu as a souvenir to have with soba at home, but I hesitated and paid the bill. Thank you for the meal!

The skewers are delicious.

It's getting cold in Asahikawa in winter. I wanted to eat delicious motsu skewers, so I made a reservation by phone before visiting. Sometimes there is a sign saying "reserved", so I didn't want to get lost in the cold. Inside the restaurant, the counter was full of older gentlemen, and 4 out of 6 tables were empty. Maybe everyone hesitated to go outside because of the cold. I ordered beer, hot sake, motsu, chicken meat, tsukune, tebasaki. "Would you like 1 or 2 cups of hot sake?" "I'll have 2 cups, please." "Do you want it hot?" "Hmm, normal is fine." I used to not like the smell of hot sake, but I have become quite a drinker now. I can adapt my taste flexibly because I can't be picky about sake in this kind of restaurant. I received 2 pieces of daikon pickles as an appetizer, and then the motsu skewers arrived. The salt was a bit strong, but it went well with the alcohol. The skewers were small but very delicious. Next was the chicken meat, which was light and tasty. Then motsu, chicken meat, and tsukune as a palate cleanser. The tebasaki took a bit of time, so they confirmed if it was okay. However, it arrived quite quickly this day, maybe because the restaurant was not busy. How far should you eat chicken wings? I can only eat the meaty parts, but some people can cleanly eat even the thin bones and skin. I ordered more motsu skewers. I added 2 cups of hot sake and beer. I started drinking at 19:00, but by around 19:45, they were taking down the curtains. Early closing!! Maybe they sold out of yakitori already? Lastly, I ordered soba noodles. Since it was boiled noodles in a bag, it came out quickly! I put some leftover motsu skewers in it and tasted it. The broth was delicious. The bill was 6060 yen for two people. There was only local cold sake available, but it would be perfect if they had delicious local sake. I thought about taking the yakitori home with some delicious sake, but takeout was not allowed. Next time, I might enjoy drinking alone at the counter with the older gentlemen.

This place is open from 5:30 pm onwards. It's always interesting to see how early people start drinking alcohol. I wish there were more places that open at 5 pm or even 4 pm! I love this place and I'm a repeat customer. You have to go right when they open to get a seat. Around 7:30 pm, they start running out of skewers, so you have to be quick. People order 10 or 20 skewers at a time. It's best to go early and enjoy your meal. And for dessert, I recommend the simple soba noodles. They taste delicious. Not the best place for a date, though. It's mostly frequented by office workers.

Climbing up the ladder, we arrived at Torigen, a restaurant that serves delicious yakitori. The atmosphere was quite urban, with a train ride from Asahikawa Station. The view from the elevated train tracks was different and interesting. The restaurant was not too crowded, so we enjoyed some cold beer and ordered some amazing motsu (offal). It's recommended to order at least 10 skewers of motsu to fully enjoy the flavor. The combination of cold beer and grilled motsu was perfect. We also tried some soba noodles with the motsu, which was a unique and delicious experience. Overall, Torigen is a must-visit for anyone who enjoys yakitori, especially their motsu skewers.

I found out about Torigen in Sapporo. There is also a Torigen in Asahikawa! It's not located in the city, but in a more remote area, which is typical of Torigen. There is no parking lot, so you'll need to use a taxi to get back. They have a raised seating area that can accommodate up to 20 people, and a counter that can fit about 10 people. They close at 10 pm, so be aware of the time. Also, once they run out of skewers, it's over. I ordered 30 skewers of offal and 10 skewers of chicken, and it was delicious! For the finishing touch, put the offal in the soba soup for a great flavor. I have nothing else to say. If you go, make sure to make a reservation! You can enjoy offal at almost half the price compared to Sapporo! Sorry, I got a bit carried away and wrote this in a rush because I was so impressed.

When I was on a business trip to Asahikawa alone, I went to a restaurant with a junior colleague once. The colleague warned me that "this place is always crowded and hard to get in," but when we opened the door, three people were just leaving - lucky! The atmosphere inside was old-fashioned, and the landlady bluntly told us to sit in a certain area since we were just two people, which felt a bit unpleasant. We ordered three skewers each of pork, chicken, and offal skewers. While they grilled them for us in the restaurant, the regular customers were ordering in units of 10 skewers each. Even a couple who came later casually ordered "20 offal skewers"! When I asked a client who claimed to be a regular at Torigen about this, they explained that it's Torigen's way to order a large quantity of skewers to keep warm in a pile and that's why ordering in units of 10 is the norm. Furthermore, it seems that the custom is to finish with soba with offal in it. I visited various soba restaurants in Sapporo and Obihiro due to job transfers, but I don't recall seeing offal soba on the menu. I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but I did see offal soba on the menu at a soba restaurant on 1-jo Street in Asahikawa. Going to Torigen without prior information turned into a somewhat embarrassing memory, but next time, I might try ordering in units of 10 skewers and finish with soba with offal to act like a regular customer.

If you want to eat motsu skewers, this place comes highly recommended. The seasoning is excellent, the skewers are juicy and tender, and you can keep eating them without getting tired. When I went with two other people, we ordered 50 skewers at once because they were so delicious, but we were told to order them little by little. A popular choice here is to order soba noodles at the end, and then break up the motsu skewers and mix them in. It's the best. It's a shame there is no parking lot.